Summertime and Reminiscing

Hello all -it has been awhile-Huh?! Hope it's been going good for all of you -it's been going ok here. We survived and enjoyed the "wedding season"- Congrats to all the newlyweds! And of course now it's been summertime- We had my daughter's bday party at Cherry Berry early in the summer, we've seen some movies -(Love Brave!),we've been swimming, and gone on a few trips -but you know me nothing too fancy just visiting family around the state. For the 4th of July we went to see the in-laws across the state and then this past weekend visited my dad and floated down the river. Along the way we've made a few stops to reminisce like where my husband and I got married (13 years ago now):

And I heard through the Facebook grapevine that the place where I and a few of my highschool buddies 1st worked was closing so made a stop there too -glad to make it on their last day after being open for 47 years! :

Overall been pretty good -but, that's not to say there hasn't been some Mom Mayhem along the way ;) - it's kinda tough with an energetic little boy and teenaged daughter-seems we're hardly on the same page as far as it being a lazy day or getting out of the house and soaking up the summer -but, we're trying. And luckily I still get to have a night out when I go to book club about once a week-seems during the summer I especially need those- hope it lasts but, with 2 of our members expecting a baby we shall see what's to come... Anyways got awhile longer for summer but, soon it will be time for back to school -Eeek!  Well, until next time -Ta Ta For Now!

How I became a statistic

So after high school I got a car, my 2nd job, and eventually my own place. I was enjoying my freedom. 1 day I took a little trek to a local hamburger place where I met a guy -I knew he was kinda putting the moves on me and although he was the type of guy your parents warned against -older, with a van- and only 1 thing on his mind -Surprisingly I didn't really care. We were together for a little while and we had a good time. I knew we wouldn't be together forever -not the guy I wanted to marry -So, I was ok when he wanted to break it off. Besides I had other guys interested in me anyway...

Although I was enjoying my freedom I was still fairly tame -I did still go to church occasionally. There was a guy at church - we kinda dated. At my job as a waitress -there were guys all the time that would flirt and I would flirt back sometimes -it seems a lot of them were a bit skeevy though. There was 1 guy that was really nice though-we kinda dated. And there was another guy who I'd known through school -we kinda dated. I remember thinking it was pretty awesome coming home to my own apartment and there would be literally messages from these 3 different guys. So, yeah I kinda juggled them for a bit -but, I knew once it started getting serious I'd have to make some tough decisions... 1st the church guy -we ended up making a pretty mutual decision to break it off . The guy who I met through work -he was seriously so sweet -he was ready to take things to the next level -but, I just couldn't -I had to tell him there was someone else -breaking hearts can be really hard!

So, yep for some reason I decided to take things to the next level with this other guy. And yes -he is my "baby daddy". Unlike other teen mom stories I didn't give birth in a Walmart and it didn't exactly all start in Spanish class -although we did have Spanish class together. No, we originally met years ago-yep- on the school bus. *flashback* We were friends -I knew he liked me -and I did flirt with him sometimes-(I've been called a tease more than once in my life ;). But, I didn't want to cross that line besides I didn't think he was my type -he was kind of the brooding ; smoke behind the building at school kind of guy. We would talk on the phone a lot though. Over the years we lost touch after we both moved a couple of times. But, it seemed we always got back in touch -He called me after he was in a bad wreck and in the hospital -We even went on kind of a date soon after that -as he hobbled around with a rod in his leg. I was surprised by how much he changed since the last time I saw him -less scrawny more buff and more handsome in general. I thought maybe he would be my date to senior prom -but, he lived in a different town and by then had started to see another girl. I actually didn't even go to my senior prom even though I had a dress and everything. Anyway *fast forward* -He was 1 of the 1st people I called to come see my new apartment -we started hanging out- we were together in every sense of the word. Soon I found out I was pregnant- in the beginning things were great. There was even talk of marriage -But, at times it also felt like more of an obligation. I knew he was the type to smoke,drink,and party in general -even though I did go to a few wild parties it was never my scene. I began to wonder what was more important to him -us and our baby -or partying. He lived with me for awhile -that was a disaster. Soon it all just seemed like a disaster. I eventually realized -I was pregnant and I really wasn't ready and he wasn't either -he was actually younger than me (by 6mo's) and still needed to finish school. I called my dad -he helped me get all my stuff and I moved back in with my dad -but, then that was about 300 miles away from where I was. I was still with my "boyfriend" but, most of the time I would call him -he wouldn't call me -he didn't make plans to visit me - I knew his vehicle was not that reliable though. I don't remember now why -but, my dad and sister were taking a trip that way -so, I took my very pregnant butt on this trip -several hours away. I finally reached my "boyfriend" on the phone and told him he better come make the 15min -30min trip to see me at this hotel we were staying at -But, he wouldn't! So, that was it -We officially broke up. I later learned from some of his family that he was pretty bad into drugs and supposedly didn't want me to see him like that or whatever. I've only talked/seen him a couple of times since. His mom and him did make the trip to see his daughter soon after she was born and they did bring gifts and money to help me out. And I took a trip that way once while she was still a baby -But, there was no talk of trying to reconcile. I did what I felt was best for me and my daughter -I know people that struggle with addiction -it's a life long struggle. I'm not really sure how his life is now -if he's "clean" or not or whatever. I know he's out there -and his mom even recently tried to contact me through facebook -I haven't heard back though -So, we're still in the same place. But, that's the story of how I became a statistic and my ex-factors. Some of my exes I know bits through the grapevine, some I have no clue, I think most still live in this state-some pretty dang close!, I even have a confirmed gay ex-boyfriend-we're still friends BTW, and then there's other connections-the flirtations,the crushes, maybe someone had 1 on me I didn't know about. Of course all that is in the past now -just part of my story -and then of course I met my husband -And in the present we'll soon be celebrating 12 yrs. of marriage :)

The ex-factor

I've thought about doing this post like a billion times -maybe it's because I just watched the latest Bachelor show -And I guess just knowing that we all go through different relationships that's making me a little reminiscent -So, bear with me -Here goes about some of mine...

I guess my 1st real "boyfriend" all started with literally the boy next door -As I've mentioned before about the house I grew up in (the house next door we could see their kitchen window by stepping out onto our back steps). I was very curious about the new family that moved in -A single mom with 3 boys. The oldest boy -was a trouble maker, the youngest boy was just the annoying little brother type, the middle boy though -I thought was very cute and nice. It seemed all the neighborhood kids got together and played at our house a lot -and it seemed we tried to play together a lot -him and I -as a team. It was all very innocent puppy love- I was maybe 11 or 12 - We only stole a kiss once- not too long before they moved to another state. Even though we did talk a couple times on the phone alas that was the end.

In junior high- I had lots of crushes -NKOTB,other celebs, guys I thought were cute in school -honestly I was pretty boy crazy -but, the thing is boys were not crazy about me -I did go through a very awkward phase around that time though. It really wasn't until high school that I blossomed out of my awkward phase and boys started to notice me again. And wouldn't you know down the street a new family moved in -Parents with 3 boys -again the oldest boy (who also had the same name as the other oldest boy) was a bit of a trouble maker, the youngest -too young, the middle -just right ;) We walked home several blocks from the bus stop after school everyday and talked-we hung out a lot, he even asked me to the formal dance- the 1st dance I had a date too. But, eventually he just wanted to be friends -which we were- we even kept in touch for a little while after he moved to another town. But, before he moved- I was sad around Valentine's day that I didn't have a Valentine -they were doing compatibility tests at school-I took one and found out my top match was in 1 of my classes. We started talking -even got caught kissing in school -even though he was great -honestly I think he was just a rebound -something just wasn't right for me -I never had to break up with anyone before -it was hard! I was single for awhile after that -I've found that a lot guys wouldn't automatically think I was "hot" but, once they got to know me -realized I was pretty awesome -if I say so myself ;) There was this 1 guy -timing- we had some classes together I had a crush on him but, he had an on and off girlfriend -he actually called me 1 time when they were off -I got the message-I called him back-but, didn't hear from him -The next time I saw him he was "on" again with his girlfriend. Well, anyway as I was saying the boys that got to know me and I got to know them best were those that I rode the bus with... When I was a junior I went with a guy from the bus -he was nice and again I had a date for the formal - We became very close -even after my dad moved the summer before my senior year -he coordinated a visit to see me that summer. I did move back for my senior year -but, had to live with my gma. So, we were together again -until I think I became a victim of "put- out or get out" -Yep he found someone else and broke up with me. Again I was single for awhile -until after I graduated from high school anyway - And then that's when IT happened -I became a stastic -a pregnant teen! Come back later for more -To be continued... Part 2 -How I became a statistic

Reminiscing

I'm not sure if everyone likes to reminisce or if it's just fun remembering all those childhood things being a child from the 80's/90's. But, it's nice to remember Strawberry Shortcake,Care Bears,Cabage Patch Kids,Smurfs,My Little Pony,She-Ra/He-man. Some of those being great TV shows too and other shows like ThunderCats,Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,Full House,Blossom-(Yeah I even remebering doing a class poster about the TV show Blossom ;) Or even the songs/singers gotta love Debbie Gibson and the New Kids on the Block! =D I could seriously go on & on. But, really to me it is nice to think about those kinds of things- Recently my dad brought some stuff from storage he still had when we were kids- for me and my sis to go through. And we found some classic "vintage" stuff -Like this California Raisin stamp set,old video game player/video games like -Frogger!, and even our old keyboard-See pic:But this got me thinking if our kids will reminisce about things from their childhood what kind of things will they remember? I have to say I was glad that Care Bears-etc did come back some so I could share that with my daughter-Maybe we'll have that in common! But I'm sure there will be some stuff that's so "classic" to their childhood. Maybe Dora and Diego ? Maybe-Webkinz ? When I was younger I'd never imagine such a thing as Webkinz -I mean the internet just became popular when I was graduating highschool or somewhere around there ;)

And speaking of electronic gadgets maybe instead of the old frogger games they'll remember their Gameboys or Nintedo DS. And they'll probably remember how Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus was SO big with the TV show,CD's, and the many,many products she "they" are on.

What do you think- Do you love reminiscing? What things do you think your kids will remember?